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The juvenile Mediterranean Gull with the yellow leg ring AYLT seen at Victoria Park in Belfast on Sunday was ringed near Leipzig, Germany on 8th June and was last seen there on 3rd July so it traveled west 1,272 kms in 27 days. (Ian Enlander).

Unusually a pair of Sand Martins are nesting in a sand dune at Murlough. (Garry Wilkinson).

Thanks to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Grey Herons and Little Egrets:

A juv.Med Gull was photographed at Castle Espie yesterday and had a red leg ring. The readable ring was traced back to Poland, it was ringed on the 6th June as a chick at Rybical. The distance covered was 1,757kms in 57 days since been ringed, just proves what incredible journeys birds undertake. Our thanks to Gareth Platt for providing the information.

A single Whimbrel was the best at Ballymacormick Point this morning (Richard Hunter).

4 Sanderling and the juvenile Mediterranean Gulls were still at Belfast WOW reserve, two Red Knot were at Kinnegar shore. (Stuart McKee).

A juvenile Mediterranean Gull, another German ringed bird with a yellow ring AYKY, was at Loughshore Park in Antrim, see picture below. (Stephen Foster)

Thanks to Jonny Andrews for the picture of the Yellowhammer, to Thomas Campbell for the picture of the Kestrel, to Stuart McKee for the pictures of the Knot and the juvenile Mediterranean Gull predating a tern chick and to Stephen Foster for the ringed juvenile Mediterranean Gull:

A Honey Buzzard (female pale-type with extensively white underparts), was seen at Banagher Glen near Dungiven, Co. Derry, it seemed to be on the move, watched for 15 minutes around 2pm drifting, flapping and gliding east / southeast along the full length of the glen. It was eventually lost in view over forestry beyond the reservoir. Briefly interacting with common buzzards and ravens (David Steele)

A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker was in a garden at Upper Ballinderry, Lisburn, this morning. (Robin Brown) see pic. below.
A single Whimbrel was at Belfast WOW reserve, four Red Knot were at Kinnegar Pool, see picture below. (Stuart McKee).

Thanks to Ric Else and Hazel Watson for the pictures of the Hen Harrier and the neck-collared Greylag that arrived on Rathlin yesterday and to Derek Polley for the picture of the juvenile Mediterranean Gull attacking a tern chick:

An eclipse male Garganey was in the southwest corner of Lough Beg today, also now 25 Ruff (mostly moulting males) on the western shoreline and further Greenshank passage with 14 today, mostly juveniles. (David Steele).

A ringed Common Gull with the number 5182366 was at Millisle yesterday, this bird was ringed as a chick in Rogaland, Norway on 9th July 2016. (Gareth Platt).

Up to 40 Puffins along with Manx Shearwaters were around Mew Island of the County Down coast today. (Michael Latham).

A Storm Petrel was at Burial Island on the Outer Ards. (Richard Weyl).

Thanks to Michael for the pictures of the Puffin and Manx Shearwater and to Gareth for the picture of the ringed Common Gull:

This morning a juvenile and two adult Reed Warblers were in the reed bed around Kinnegoe hide at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong).

A single Mediterranean Gull was at KFC in Antrim, see picture below. (Gareth Platt).

A second German ringed juvenile Mediterranean Gull was at Whitehead on 17th, the ring was Yellow AY.KA. (Gareth Platt/Cameron Moore).

Thanks to Stuart McKee for the picture of the German ringed juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Belfast WOW, to Mark Elliott for the picture of the juvenile Sedge Warbler and to Gareth Platt for the picture of the Mediterranean Gull:

A high tide count at Belfast WOW reserve between 17.15 and 17.45 produced: 320+ Curlew, 2
Whimbrel, 30
Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 in summer plumage the rest were probably a mixture of juveniles and 1st summers.
6
Dunlin, all were adults in summer plumage, 1
Roseate Tern, an adult in breeding plumage. Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwits were still arriving at 17.45. (Tom Ennis).

Approximately 12 Yellowhammers were outside Ardglass this evening, see picture below. (Michael Latham).

Thanks to Dick Glasgow for the picture of the Swift over his garden, to Michael Latham for the picture of the Yellowhammer and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Sparrowhawk:

Three Roseate Terns, all ringed on both legs, were at RSPB WoW this morning (Garry Armstrong) The terns were still present at 4p.m. (Kevin Kirkham-Brown). A fourth, unringed, Roseate was at the reserve this afternoon along with a summer plumaged Grey Plover, the Ruff, a Turnstone and 4 Knot. (Gerard McGeehan, Shirley Dunlop & Carole Gillespie).

A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in Kilclief, Co Down (Simon Rodgers).

A Long-Eared Owl was calling on the Moss Road near Ballycopeland Windmill in Millisle on Thursday and Friday night. (David McCormick).

A young Long-eared Owl was at the Argory in Co. Armagh. (Mark Elliott).

A mixed pair of Mediterranean and Common Gulls have raised two chicks on a rooftop in Antrim. (Gareth Platt).

Thanks to Stuart McKee for the first picture of two of the Roseate Terns, to Comghal McQuillan for the second Roseate Tern picture and to Mark Elliott for the picture of the Jay:

An adult Med Gull was at the south end of Kilhorne Bay, Annalong this morning. (Richard Gray)

Yesterday two Mediterranean Gulls, an adult and a 2nd summer, were at Antrim Lough Shore Park. (Stephen Foster). Today two Mediterranean Gulls, at least one a different bird from yesterday, were in the KFC car-park in Antrim. (Gareth Platt).

A Spotted Flycatcher was at Palace Demesne Park in Armagh City this afternoon. (Colin Bell).

Thanks to Stephen for this picture of the Mediterranean Gulls from yesterday and to Gareth Platt for the picture of another Mediterranean Gull from today:

A Roseate Tern was at the Belfast WOW reserve briefly before flying out to Belfast Lough, also present three summer plumaged Bar-Tailed Godwits, two Common Sandpipers and a new Ruff. (Stuart McKee)

For anyone interested there is a boat trip planned for Ailsa Craig for Monday (10am). The Gannet nesting season is now in full swing. The trip will be in a 12 seat covered rib which can also facilitate photography if the weather is good. For more information contact Jim Wells on ‭07856 235144‬.

Thanks to Stuart for the pictures of the Ruff and the Common Sandpiper:

Crossbills seem to be on the move. Yesterday 5 were at Kinramer, Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson) and good numbers have been seen in North Donegal in recent days (Robert Vaughan)

There was a high count of a minimum of 51 Black Guillimots at Glenarm harbour yesterday (Garry Wilkinson)

Also, for anyone who's interested:

The first Guillemot and Razorbill chicks are already leaving the cliffs now, so there's just a few weeks left for anyone to come and see the spectacle of Rathlin's breeding auk colony at its peak. The 'jumplings' will be making their thrilling leaps from the cliffs at dusk every night throughout this month, and a special late night viewing session will be organisedon Saturday 14th July. It may also be possible to arrange viewing on other nights - contact the RSPB Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre on02820760062 to enquire.

Welcome

This site is run by a voluntary group of birders documenting and recording information about the birds and wildlife of Northern Ireland. We provide information on rarities and interesting sightings so that others can enjoy. The sightings on this blog are not accepted records - rarities need to be confirmed, see https://nirbc.blogspot.co.uk/